Arm and shoulder brace.



F. B. BROWN.-

ARM AND SHOULDER BRAGE. APPLICATION FILED IULYSO 19H.

Patented Feb. 19, 1918.

IN VEN TOR.

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edertc/f B. Brown lllllllllllll JHHHHIMHH A TTORNE YS.

@ @im M4 FREDERICK B. BROWN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA..

j ABM AND SHOULDER BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lFeb. 19, i918.

Application led July 30, 191'?. Serial No. 183,448.

To aZZ whom# may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK B. BROWN, a citizen of theUnited States, residing atf the city and county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inArm and Shoulder' Braces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus which is especially designed to support in any desired position the arms and shoulders of persons who have been injured so as to be incapable of properly supporting the injured members or parts.

The invention consists of a jointed framework of rigid material, belts and connecting supporting straps, a brace or standar pivoted at the top, so that it may swing about its pivots, jointed arms so connected with the standard and with each other that the arms may be moved to dispose the sup.- ported member at diderent angles and positions, and means for locking the parts.

It also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side view showing the application of the device. f

liig. 2 is an enlarged sectional View of the upper joint.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the elbow joint.

.Fig i is a plan view of the assembled device.

Accidents frequently occur in which shoulder bones and joints and the upper portion of the arm are seriously damaged, and for the purpose of holding these parts in position while they are healing, it has been necessary to place them in a plaster cast, preventing all movement for a ve considerable length of time.

It is the object of my invention to provide a light, easilyattached apparatus which will serve to retain the parts 1n any desired and suciently rigid osition, while at the same time allowing or adjustments from time to time as may be found desirable or necessary. In carryin out my invention I employ a harness whic is so designed as to t the body of the wearer and to form a support for the apparatus.

As shown in the resent case, A is a belt tting around the ody havin a strap 2 extending diagonally across t e shoulder y and another 1munter-strap l3 in the other direction and connected at the front and back with the belt. The apparatus consists of a rigid standard 4, whichv attachment in which this end is fixed. The

upper end is pivoted in a sleeve, as shown at 6, and this allows the sleeve to swing from the front toward the back and thus move the arm vsupports about the shoulder joint without too much strain on said joint. A thumb screw 6a serves to lock the sleeve at any desired point. A suitable protecting pad 4a is interposed between the standardand the body and envelops the shoulder and contiguous parts.

rThe arm portion of the apparatus consists of plates 7 and 8, preferably made concave-convex, and which may be padded, if desired, so that the upper and lower portions of the armfmay rest, one in each ofthese plates. The upper plate is joined to the sleeve 6 by a joint, as shown at 9, andA this joint has also combined with it a rotary ratchet joint l0 which allows this portion of the arm to be raised or depressed, and by means of a spring-pressed latch ll, engaging the ratchet, it may be held in any desired position relative to the body.

A joint between the upper and lower plates is also rovided, as shown at 1Q, and this allows t e forearmto be raised and moved independently of the upper arm.

The end of the lower plate may be strapped or lotherwise secured at the wrist in such a manner as to cause the arm and the plate to be moved in unison and held together. The elbow joint is preferably made with two plates, one circumferentially slotted, as at 13, and a pivot screw kpassing through one plate is adapted 'to lock upon the other and thus hold this joint in the required position. Clamping screws 14C pass through the slots and serve to lock the joint rmly.

By means of these joints it will beseen that the arm may be raised about the shoulder to any desired angle therewith and retained in place. It will also be seen that the forearm may be turned about its joint from a position in line with the u per .arm to a line substantially at right ang es therewith.

In order to-extend the arm sections and extend the muscles or ligaments, when neces- Samya the paes to which *Ehe arm suppots junctn 0i the uppe am; plais and the 35 are fixed are mmed with sloted sections l5 standad, anni means to leek said with clamp scews passing though. By 3.. En an appamtus ein the cha'sdctef deloosening these screws the sections may be scibed, a fg bace, means secuf-qg it to a extended or smensdg as dashed? an@ xed @he body/3. an uoper afm. suppo'; fsev@ in paca, An angle Lyle-.ta l@ is Suppored abou ma upper and of ,2 imm 511e pim?, l2 and is tunable Wf'h atchef@ jonib saied upon the sisef, eaon is@ ih@ afm plaies. lf it is wy adjsi atl@ @im Sups"red "co siesh the musdes of gaments and :means is leek 'Zehe maa 

